The Men That Loved Her
by Stutley Constable
Summary: Post AWE. Elizabeth and Mr. Gibbs have a heart to heart about all the men that love her. Pairings Challenge.


**Legal Note:** I do not own any of the characters associated with Pirates of the Caribbean. I do not have any legal right to use them or any other proprietary words originating from these movies. This story was done just for the fun of it. Not for profit. If you like it please tell me. If you don't like it please tell me why with particulars but not excessive detail.

**Author's Note:** In September of 2009 I expressed to my friend Pirate-on-fleet-street an interest in writing a few oneshots with unusual pairings (ones that are not Sparrabeth or Willabeth). We decided that it would be fun to cooperate on such an undertaking. This story and eleven others are the products of that venture. We hope you will enjoy them.

**Summary:** Post AWE. Elizabeth and Mr. Gibbs have a heart to heart about all the men that love her. Pairings Challenge.

**The Men That Loved Her**

Elizabeth Turner rose from her bed, unable to sleep. Had it really been only a week since she had held Will? A week since their last kiss? Ten years until their next kiss? She felt very alone.

The moon sent a weak shaft of light through her window. Elizabeth pulled her dressing gown tight around her shoulders and stepped to the tall French doors that let onto the stern gallery that had once been part of a mighty ship of the line. The quarters of the Pirate King were suspended above Shipwreck Cove by old masts and the many hulks of the victims of these waters and the denizens that prowled them. On the gallery she strolled looking down on the various ships gathered in the harbor. The _Black Pearl_ was there. Still being refitted. Aside from the damage from the Battle of the Maelstrom, as they were calling it, there was the damage the Kraken had done and the timbers Calypso had torn loose when she'd changed. Another week would see the _Pearl_ afloat again. Another week and Elizabeth would have to decide what she would do. She turned her back on that thought for the moment and went back inside. From somewhere she could hear singing. A man's harsh voice. It seemed that men were always singing or brawling here. Always drunk. But the voice sounded familiar. Elizabeth went to her chamber door and listened. She smiled softly to herself. Gibbs. Ever faithful Mr. Gibbs.

Elizabeth opened the door trying to keep it from squeaking and passed into the short hallway that lead to the meeting chamber of the Brethren Court. She passed Captain Teague's door and paused to pet Keys the dog who thumped his tail in pleasure at her touch. In the big chamber with its massive table and anchor chandelier she found Mr. Gibbs leaning back in the big chair at the far end with his ever present bottle of rum.

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest

Yo ho ho and a bottle o' rum!"

On the last word Gibbs sloshed down a mouthful and smiled. Elizabeth smiled just a little at the man but she nearly cried from the words he sang. Suddenly his eyes opened and lighted upon her. Instantly his demeanor changed. He slammed the chair upright and staggered to his feet swaying from the drink.

"I beg yer pardon, Miss Elizabeth," Gibbs spluttered. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"It's all right, Mr. Gibbs," Elizabeth said. "I haven't been able to sleep much lately. Would you mind some company?"

"Of course not," Gibbs smiled and gestured to the chair next to him. "Would you care for a tot o' rum?"

"I think I could use some rum tonight," Elizabeth sat in the chair as Gibbs held it for her. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

"Aye. Aboard the _Dauntless,_ out bound from England," Gibbs poured a mug full of rum and set it in front of her. "You were just a slip o' a girl and all eagerness to hear tales o' pirates."

"I was," She sipped pensively from her mug. "And you were an honest sailor who despised them. I think every other sentence from you was 'Cursed pirates'."

Gibbs shared in her laughter. It felt good to sit, just the two of them and have something to laugh at. "Aye, now I am one and yer the Pirate King. Life's funny that way."

"I don't think it's funny at all." She brooded into her mug before taking another sip.

"Ye've had some hard times of late, miss."

"I have. Yes," she said frowning. "I've been thinking."

"Thinking?" Gibbs asked when she didn't go on.

"Do you know," Elizabeth looked up at the pirate, "every man I have kissed has died? Every man I've loved or who has loved me has died. My father died. I don't think I ever really told him how much I truly loved him." Tears sprang into the girls eyes unbidden.

"Miss Elizabeth," Gibbs put his hand on hers. "You can't go blaming yerself for things like that. At least you got to tell him one last time."

"I do have that. But," she gulped a swallow of rum. "if I hadn't gotten involved with Jack my father might still be alive. And that's another one. Jack. I kissed him and then I put the chain around his wrist. I killed Jack."

"Oh now, Miss Elizabeth." Gibbs shook his head. "We went and got Jack back. He's fine. Just like always."

"Is he?" she demanded. "He's still not right in the head. You've seen him talking to himself."

"He doesn't do it so much now that the battle's over." Gibbs tried to comfort her.

"Yes. Now that the bloody Dutchman has a new captain!" The rum burned her throat as she swallowed again. "Two men that I loved died on that ship. First it was James when he was helping us to escape. I shamed him into that. It was my fault that he died. He could have lived!"

"Aye. He could have lived," Gibbs said gently. "But what kind of half life would he have lived? Beckett was using him as a pawn. Commodore Norrington would have turned to drink again or worse. He was a proud man for all his faults. He was even a good man. In defending you, he died as he would have chosen to live. He died a hero."

"And finally there's Will," Elizabeth rushed on as if needing to finish her confession. "Things weren't supposed to be this way. We were going to have a wedding with a small orchestra and then a house and children. And now... Ten years, Mr. Gibbs! He won't have changed. He won't but I will! In twenty years what will he think of me? In thirty? We were supposed to grow old together."

Gibbs drew her into him and held her as she wept. Elizabeth threw her arms around the old sailor and cried in his comforting embrace. Finally, when her tears were done, she held on and he let her until she was asleep. Gently he lifted her in his arms like a child and carried her back to her room. Carefully, so as not to wake her, he laid her in her bed and pulled the covers up tucking her in. Finally he kissed her forehead.

"Not every man that loves you has died, Miss Elizabeth." Gibbs wiped at his cheek almost as if in irritation and turned from the room.

In the morning Elizabeth found Gibbs slumped forward in his chair with three empty bottles next to him. She smiled and left him to his sleep.

* * *

_Additional Note: If you enjoyed this story and wish to read the other stories in this challenge you can find them on my profile and on Pirate-on-fleet-street's profile. fanfiction(dot)net/u/1931701/Pirate-on-Fleet-Street_


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